End Game
by Moerae
Summary: No one said knowledge was free those who say so are lying. But just how much the price is, only those who've paid knows...


Disclaimer: I don't own Angelic Layer, CLAMP does. Don't sue me...

This fic was inspired by Bus Gamers by Minekura Kazuya, the manga artist of Gensomaden Saiyuki. A brilliant artist and everyone should read her mangas! Hee... slight advertising. Anyway... read on! And many thanks to Shaq who had to read through this... appalling story.

Shaq: Hee. Spreading the word, huh? Addicting me is just not enough anymore; you just had to try and addict the world. I'm sure the world is pleased.

* * *

**End Game**

Bullets whizzed passed my head at deadly speeds, destroying everything it touched. Debris and other wickedly sharp projectiles scattered themselves on the cream carpet. I clutched both my arms over my head and ears, trying to shield myself from harm and the loud roar of the guns. My eyes squeezed shut and a whimper escaped as I hid behind the counter. I curled myself into the smallest ball I could possibly make.

This just could not be happening. This.... this horrible, horrible day must be a dream – a nightmare. Never in my life had I ever thought anyone would want to hurt me, let alone try and kill me. But it was happening, and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't do a damn thing. My apartment was being riddled with bullets. My life torn to shreds. How can one simple computer chip demolish twenty-four years of someone's life?

Another bullet careened by, barely missing my ear and embedded itself into a wooden shelf. The wood splintered and chips went flying in all directions. I felt the sharp sting before I knew what had happened. Hesitantly I touched my cheek gingerly, coming away with blood staining the pads of my fingers. I blinked. It was only a superficial cut but it still stung.

The back of my eyes burned. Why was this happening to me? Another whimper escaped and tears began to make their way down my cheeks. They were warm, wet and very real, like everything else that was happening. I choked on a sob and huddled closer into myself. How did this happen?

===

The air within the club throbbed with the beat of the drum, like someone's heartbeat pounding against the walls of the building. The blurred strum of electric guitars wove in intricate patterns with the beat, and a lilting female voice gathered everything to itself. Unifying... binding... merging.

All this filled my ears as I swayed my body with the undulating crowd. Feeling light and carefree, my head swam in delicious waves of nothingness. I was drunk on the music. Drunk on everything that filled the air – the heat, the sound, the sensations. Everything. My pores soaked up the intoxicating atmosphere and I felt a fresh splurge of giddiness.

I would've thrown my head back and giggled if a soft coaxing voice hadn't fluttered across my ears.

"Misaki."

I watched with utter fascination as the delicate mouth called my name again.

It took me several more moments to finally register that I was in someone's arms. To be more precise, in Ohjiro's arms. My head instantly dipped. Heat seeped quickly into my cheeks, and my mind instantly blanked out. What do I do?

My thoughts fled me when I felt warm hands move against the small of my back. His hands. One moved to settle at my hip and the other gently lifted my gaze. My eyes widened and I stopped breathing.

We were oh-so-close. I was pressed flush against him, and the warmth radiating from him frizzled every nerve ending in my body. I could feel my insides slowly melt and puddle in my shoes. If he didn't stop looking at me with those adoring dark blue eyes, I think I would have passed out from the lack of oxygen.

His eyes left mines and a small smile formed on his lips. That was when I remembered to breath. I took in deep gasps of air only to find his tangy cologne wafting up my nose. Deliciously addictive. I nuzzled the crook of his neck, searching for the scent. He didn't object, and we continued to sway to the music.

"Misaki." His voice was a soft brush of air.

"Hm...?"

"How long have we been dating?"

I wasn't expecting that question. "Five months. Why?" My voice was muffled by his shirt.

"You don't need to be shy around me," he murmured. His voice wasn't mocking or teasing; it was matter of fact. It was a very Ohjiro thing to do.

I nodded and buried my head deeper into his neck. It was hard not to be shy and nervous around him. He was my first boyfriend. I was nearly eighteen; it was embarrassing when I thought about it.

"So Misaki, did you hear anything I said before you decided to float back to earth?" This time his voice held a hint of laughter. I could see the slight upturn of his lips without looking up.

I nodded, not wanting to lift my face away from his sweet-smelling skin. I was very tempted to lick his flesh just to see if it tasted as sweet as his scent.

"And what do you think?" The amusement died away and seriousness weighed down each word.

Lifting my face, I searched his calm, blank expression. Sometimes it was hard to tell what he was truly feeling. He had always been very good at hiding his emotions. Right now there was nothing showing through; he had pulled a film over his eyes, shutting out everything.

I sighed. "Why don't you leave? If what you've found out is true, then we should both leave."

"You can't leave once you're inside, Misaki," he whispered.

"Then what do we do?" I asked, my eyes dropping from his empty gaze.

"You don't do anything. If you played less frequently they would probably think you've lost interest and nothing would happen."

I stared at him. What was he saying? I do nothing... and what about him? "What about you?" I let my confusion and slight panic edge my words.

"I'm not going to do anything rash if that's what you're worried about," he reassured me. "For now I'll keep playing."

"But – "

My sentence was cut short when his lips descended on mine. My breath hitched. His lips were soft and silky smooth. My eyes slipped shut. Everything else melted and all my senses focused on the wet tongue lapping at my bottom lip – requesting permission to enter.

I gladly parted my lips, letting a low moan pass my throat. The kiss was gentle, sweet and full of love. That was until something small and rectangular passed between our fused lips. What?

My eyes flew open and I stared at him in confusion. What did he just put in my mouth? I was about to reach up and extract the object when his hands cupped the back of my head and pushed my face into his shoulder. His mouth moved against my ear as tingles ran up my spine.

"Keep it safe for me," he murmured.

I drew one of my hand up between us, and pulled out the small object. I managed to get a glimpse of it before I slid my hand back down and slipped it into my pocket. It was a chip.

===

"Misaki!" a familiar voice called my name, very much like that night at the club. Though, this time, the voice was sharp and urgent and laced with worry. Had the shooting stopped?

I lifted my head, afraid that a deadly metallic projectile would finally barge its way into my skull. Nothing. No bullets. No noise. Just eerie silence and the soft crunch of someone walking through the mess. I cowered, hating myself for it, but what could I do? If these people, whoever they were, wanted to kill me, it would've been an easy job. I wouldn't have known I was dead until I was actually dead. My heart convulsed painfully within my chest as the footsteps became louder and louder. Just let this be over. Let me die and end this horrible nightmare.

If it had been in the Layer – the grid, the matrix, whatever name it goes by – Hikaru would've been shooting back, destroying anything that threatened her. But I wasn't Hikaru. In the real world – the flesh, the meat – I was just me, just plain ordinary Suzuhara Misaki. I have no skills with a gun, and no knowledge about martial arts. In the Layer I could get rid of my enemies, but in here I was going to get killed.

A hand clamping down hard on my should shook me out of my thoughts and made me squeak softly in fear. My vision cleared and all I saw was a pair of deep oh-so-blue eyes.

"O – Oh," I swallowed, "Ohjiro?"

I watched him nod with wide eyes and he stared back at me in worry.

"Are you all right?" he asked, knowing that it was a stupid question. There was a brief curl of lips and his expression returned to its neutral mask.

I shook my head no. Fine tremors had begun to creep its way down my arms and spine. "Wha – what hap – happened?"

He didn't answer me straight away, but as soon as his hands released the gun, I could pretty much guess why the shooting had stopped. He didn't say anything as I stared dumbfounded at the weapon. Instead, he used the sleeve of his shirt and gently wiped at my face, getting rid of my tears.

I reached up and wrapped my hands around his wrists, stilling his hands. "Did you...?"

He wouldn't meet my eyes and my heart sank. He had killed those people. Finally he lifted his gaze to mine and blue eyes shone with anger. "They were going to kill you," he said tightly.

"But you could've been killed!"

The laughter that erupted out of his mouth shook me to the core. How can he laugh at a time like this? He must've seen the expression on my face because he immediately sobered.

"Misaki," he shook his head in disbelief, "They were sent here to kill you. How can you be more worried about me than your life?"

"I..." I was left staring back at him, speechless. Then the reason why I – we – were in this mess in the first place came back to me.

===

Flipping the little chip continuously in my palm, I stared, unseeing, at the dead screen. Should I or shouldn't I? Ohjiro had warned me not to look at what was in the chip. But...

The tiny circuit-encrusted piece of green plastic winked – tempting me. The tiny gold roadmap promised precious knowledge if only I would work up the resolve to pry it open with my laptop.

I closed my palm, blocking it from view and flopped back onto my bed. What could possibly be in it?

My eyes shut and I groaned. Curiosity was an evil, evil thing. Curiosity and temptation went hand in hand, and I could do very little as they sank their claws into my mind. I now knew how Eve felt when the snake appeared, flashing her the shiny apple.

It would've probably said, 'take it child.', just as right now a similar voice was whispering 'open it' with a seductive, serpentine hiss.

I went through the pros and cons as the voice continued. On the one hand, I would quench the overwhelming need to know what was in it. And on the other, I would betray Ohjiro's trust. Ruin a good relationship, or satisfy the insatiable hunger of my inquisitive nature?

Decisions, decisions....

If I had been thinking straight, there wouldn't have been this kind of struggle. Unfortunately for me, my mind was anything but clear at three in the morning. The energy that had been pulsating through my veins had worn off hours ago.

I rubbed my eyes sleepily and sat up. My finger automatically found the power stud; tapping it lightly, the thin piece of electronic came buzzing to life.

===

"It's my fault," I whispered weakly.

I couldn't meet his eyes. But the fingers that grasped my chin lightly and lifted my gaze gently made me look straight at him. There was no anger in his bottomless eyes. No accusation. Just worry, tenderness and love. He didn't blame me for looking at the chip and I hated him for it.

How could he not blame me? How could he still look at me as if I hadn't done anything wrong in the world? I choked back a sob as he drew me in his arms.

"Why don't you hate me?" I sobbed into his warm shirt, burying my head deeper into his shoulder. I waited for a reply but none came. "It's my fault. I opened the chip when you've told me not to. So why aren't you angry? It's my fault that they're trying to kill me and now you're in danger too!"

I lifted my face and looked at him. His expression was still the same; there was still no anger. I wanted so badly to hurt him, to do anything to get him angry. But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that him being angry would be easier to deal with, I was grateful he was here. It was selfish of me, dragging him into this, but at least I wasn't alone. I didn't want to be alone when I died.

"Come on, Misaki," he spoke softly, tiredly. "We have to get you out of this apartment."

He pulled me to my feet and grabbed the gun at the same time. When we were both standing and facing my ruined door, he dug a hand into his pocket, and came back out with another gun. I stared at him once more.

"Where did you – ?" I began to ask but he cut me off.

"It doesn't matter."

He took my hands and unclasped them, placing the gun snugly into my loose grasp.

"I've already sent messages out to the authorities and everyone I know playing this game . Everything we know, they'll know. These people won't get away with using us," he said firmly.

My insides sank further downwards. Despite what he'd said and what he was implying, I didn't feel fear. Where fear should be gripping my heart with a vice-like grip, I felt nothing. I knew I should be feeling afraid, but... there was just a sense of peace. Everything was finally coming to an end and I didn't have to worry anymore.

I gripped the gun more firmly in my hands, recognising its weight from all those times Hikaru had held it. I held it with both hands in a teacup hold, and despite the fine trembling in my hands, I felt reassured. This little gun would somehow make my nightmares recede. It was a flat out lie, and I knew it, but when you had nothing else....

Looking at Ohjiro's face, I smiled faintly and he nodded. Somewhere deep down, we both knew that the chances of us getting out of this alive were quite slim. Very slim. But the anger that had been simmering inside since this whole thing had started was building, and I wasn't about to smother it. Why bother? If anyone deserved to have my anger chucked at them, it was those people running up the stairs trying to get at me.

With the gun gripped in my hand, and Ohjiro by my side, we walked out of my demolished apartment.

===

I swayed slightly as the wind rushed passed me. I gulped. When you were inside an apartment, safe behind walls and feeling somewhat cozy, you really didn't appreciate just how tall thirty-seven storeys were. Right now, I had the opportunity to correct that mistake.

After glancing at the sheer drop below me, I swallowed my heart painfully and went back to staring impassively at the men with the guns.

They had blocked the elevators and the stairs leading down, and we had no choice but to head up here to the roof. It was either this or wait for them to come at us, and right now, it seemed it really didn't matter whether we stayed in my apartment, waiting for death or come up here, waiting for the inevitable. Either way they had us exactly where they wanted us.

Getting up on the ledge had been a good idea when we had both our feet planted rather firmly on the ground, but as we swayed precariously on the all-too-thin edge, it was another matter.

"The chip," the leader demanded.

I flicked my eyes over to Ohjiro and saw his tightly clenched jaw as he tried to think of a way out. It was either down or be riddled with holes, none of them seemed appealing. I gripped Ohjiro's right wrist with my left hand and hoped he understood what I was about to do. His puzzled expression didn't go unnoticed, but I willed the message over to him with my eyes.

'Trust me.'

He nodded slightly and raised his gun at the men. Instantly, with many clatters and clicks, a dozen or so guns were lifted and were trained on us. I should've been scared. I ought to have felt at least horrified. But those emotions seemed so foreign. I was staring death in the eye, literally, and all I felt was a strange calm. I would've liked to contemplate on that a little longer but with my current situation...

Reaching into my pocket, knowing full well every single pair of eyes were on me, I extracted the much sort after chip. I dropped the loathsome piece of software carelessly onto what little ground that was next to me and readied my gun. Before anyone had a real idea of what I was about to do, I took aim and shot at it several times. Even though it took several bullets (because I wasn't accustomed to the recoil and it took several tries), the once green and gold encrusted chip was no more than mere shards of plastic.

A loud roar of anger came from the leader and I couldn't help but shrug innocently at a stunned Ohjiro. Was it that surprising?

The surprise quickly washed away from Ohjiro's face and he stared seriously into my eyes. An unspoken agreement flickered between us and we stared defiantly at the gunmen. Simultaneously, our guns clattered to the ground and a shower of bullets began to spray everywhere. The wind rushed up and away from me, my clothes flapping noisily like large wings. And in a way they were. The blue sky stared placidly down and the sun kissed my wet cheeks. Was I crying?

And I knew no more....

* * *

Author's note: and that ends this... horrible horrible one-shot. This was actually a good concept when it was sitting in my head but I guess it turned out differently. Ah well. 


End file.
